Text by Anca Rusu, the manager of Țara Hațegului Ecotourism Destination. Since 2015, she has been coordinating the public-private partnership that provides the good progress of the “Discover the Țara Hațegului Ecotourism Destination!” project, financed by the Romanian American Foundation and the Foundation for Partnership, according to the activities calendar (educational programs, studies and strategies, promotion events, improving the visiting infrastructure etc.). She managed to acquire the certification of Țara Hațegului – Retezat Ecotourism Destination, the 3rd one officially recognized in Romania by the Ministry of Tourism, from 2016.
For more details, please visit the websites www.turismretezat.ro and www.tarahategului.ro
1. Retezat National Park
The Retezat massif is characterized by the unique glacial relief in Romania, with over 20 peaks higher than 2000 meters, numerous glacial lakes, among which the largest (Bucura) and the deepest (Zănoaga). To these is added over a third of the plant species in Romania that are found here (1190), of which 90 can no longer be seen anywhere else in the world. At the foot of the crenellated heights lie virgin forests where you will find wild animals that have long since disappeared from other areas of Europe. The first national park in Romania, founded in 1935 by Alexandru Borza and Emil Racoviță, has a network of over 50 tourist trails. More information – www.retezat.ro.
2. Hațeg Country UNESCO Global Geopark: House of the Geopark – Haţeg and House of Volcanoes – Densuș
Hateg Country is known for the dwarf dinosaurs that lived in these lands about 70 million years ago. Hațeg Country Geopark offers you a journey through time, in the History of the Earth and the History of Humans. If you want to know the story of the Balaur bondoc – the only species in the world with a Romanian scientific name, we invite you to the House of the Geopark, located in the center of Hațeg town (www.hateggeoparc.ro). And if you want to experience a day in the life of a paleontologist, we are waiting for you at the House of Volcanoes in Densuș (www.casavulcanilor.ro).
3. The Stone Churches – “St. Nicholas” Orthodox Church in Densuș, Sântămăria-Orlea Reformed Church, Prislop Monastery, Colț Monastery
The church in Densuş is a building whose story has not been fully deciphered. Both the origin and the date of construction of the church are controversial. Some believe that it was originally a Roman temple of the God Mars, transformed into a church in the 12th – 13th centuries. Others claim that in Antiquity it was the mausoleum of the Roman general Longinus Maximus, whose wife discovered the Christian religion and set up the first church north of the Danube, in place of the mausoleum. Today, the church has an unusual appearance, being a mixture of styles and materials. Some windows are actually Roman sewer pipes, the walls of the church are supported by columns, the altar is a sarcophagus lid, the lions on the roof were Roman statues, and the massive stones in the walls retain ancient carvings. You can even see in its walls pieces of the Roman ruins from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa: Roman bricks, columns, stones with ancient inscriptions or even statues. Inside there is another unique thing: in the icon of the Holy Trinity, Christ is dressed in Romanian traditional costume.
Like all Cistercian churches, the Church in Sântămăria – Orlea was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is a simple construction, but of impressive dimensions, being the largest medieval church in Hațeg Country. In the beginning, the church had ten murals with the motif of the cross. With the confessional changes of the community, it became orthodox and was repainted in a style that combines Byzantine and Western elements. Later, being transformed into a reformed church, the paintings were covered with lime. Today, the frescoes in the church are brought to light and are considered to be some of the most successful medieval paintings from our country. You will see that in some places the Byzantine frescoes are erased, leaving the layer of older painting visible.
Although it is in Transylvania, the Prislop Monastery was built in the style of the monasteries of Wallachia. How did this happen? It is said that Miss Zamfira, the daughter of a Wallachian Voivode, being very ill, came to the monastery. Here she drank from the water of a spring and recovered. As a gesture of thanks, she rebuilt the edifice and stayed here for the rest of her life. Later, the one who brought fame to the monastery was Arsenie Boca, the Saint of Transylvania or the Wise Father.
There were times, in the Middle Ages, when the Colț Monastery was not just a place of worship. Back then robberies and attacks were very common. And that’s why the monastery had a fortified tower, where the monks kept valuables and took shelter in case of danger. The tower had walls over a meter thick, and narrow windows where the monks could shoot without being targeted. Today, in Colț, the fortified tower and the stories of the people who were connected to the monastery are still preserved. One of them is that of the founder of the place of worship. It is said that he was buried in the church. And that his bones are holy. Across the road from the place of worship you can see the ruins of the Colț Fortress, which is believed to have been the source of Jules Verne’s inspiration for ”The Carpathian Castle”.
4. Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa – The Roman Ruins and the Archaeological Museum
Do you want to literally step into history? Go to Sarmizegetusa, the village located on the ruins of the Roman capital of the Dacia province: Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa! Here you can visit the ruins of some buildings from the old city-citadel: temples, workshops, public baths, the amphitheater and the forum. Or you can take a walk through the village, where traces of the walls that surrounded the ancient city can still be seen in people’s yards. You will see pieces of Roman ruins even in the walls of households, fountains, fortresses and churches. And this happens not only in Sarmizegetusa. All over the Haţeg Country, the abandoned buildings after the retreat of the Romans, became a real source of construction stone for the locals.
5. Hațeg – Slivuț Bison Reserve
Are you curious about what the forests looked like where the Dacians collected medicinal plants for their famous cures? Or the clearings where they built their homes? Then take a walk through the Slivuţ Forest. It seems that this oak forest is similar to the one which, in the past, was equally a shelter for Dacians and a dark labyrinth for foreigners. Today, the attraction of the Slivuţ Forest is the bison, raised here in captivity, since 1958, when the first reserve of this kind in Romania was created.
6. Hațegana Cooperative
Find the old crafts of the Hațeg people! Visit the Hațegana Cooperative exhibition center, located in Hațeg town, and buy a hand-sewn traditional shirt! From January 9th, 1971 until now, the Hațegana Cooperative has been proud of the fact that it is the only traditional cooperative in Hunedoara County that has existed without interruption. The basic production has always focused on hand-embroidered blouses, especially by the miners’ wives from Jiu Valley, the Brad area and Hațeg Country. The models created and executed by the Hațegana Cooperative are still inspired today by the unique ethnographic treasure of the Hațeg Country and the Pădureni Land.
7. Mălăiesti Fortress
Are you curious what one of the small medieval fortresses in Haţeg Country looked like? You can visit the fortress in Mălăiesti. The medieval fortress here developed like other fortifications in the area. At the beginning, only a residential tower was built. It was then surrounded with enclosure walls, and later four bastion towers were built. It is said that the fortress was much too small to be able to withstand a more serious attack and had rather a defensive role in the conflicts between the local nobles. Even so, it seems that it was not strong enough, because it was destroyed in a civil war. Today, after a complete restoration, you can enjoy its former glory. On the way back, you can stop in Sălașu de Sus, for a tasting of virșli – traditional mutton sausages.
8. Râușor resort
Haţeg Country also offers the possibility of skiing and snowboarding, Râușor resort being equipped with a slope, cable and night transport facility. In addition to the ski slope and related facilities, accommodation and food services are available in Râușor throughout the year, and ski instructors are also available during the ski season. The Râușor alpine ski complex is located in the Retezat Massif at an altitude between 1200 and 1400 m.
9. The Fundătura Ponorului Carstic Area
In Hațeg Country you will encounter landscapes and beauties of nature at every turn, but a few places are truly remarkable. The Fundătura Ponorului carstic area in the Șureanu Mountains – Grădiștea Muncelului – Cioclovina Natural Park is famous throughout the country for its fairy-tale landscapes that delight the eyes of onlookers, regardless of the season. You can reach Fundătura Ponorului by following the thematic route of the Șureanu Mountains, starting from Ponor village, Pui commune. More information about this protected area that includes wonderful places, including the Dacian fortresses – UNESCO World Heritage Site – www.gradiste.ro.
10. Hațeg Village Museum – Peșteana
Are you interested in traditional art? Do you want to know about local customs? We suggest you visit Peșteana, in Densuș commune, in a traditional wooden house, where one of the locals, Uncle Antonică, has collected objects from the old world of the village. You can see unique things in his collection at the Hațeg Village Museum. Some of the objects that were used in the household are: the vine net for keeping fish, the pestle for grinding spices, which is nothing but a piece of stone in the shape of a chopper, or the iron fangs that were attached to the soles of the shoes when it was icy. In addition, Uncle Antonică can tell you interesting stories. And if you are curious, he can show you how to make a traditional beehive, made of vines and clay.
Foto: Dan Dinu, Mihai Moiceanu, Mircea Bezergheanu
